Myrtle Beach SkyWheel offers glimpse of what could be for Staten Island

View full sizeStaten Island Advance/Diane C. LoreThe waterfront Sky Wheel and accompanying shops, restaurants and waterfront promenade in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, draw visitors to the downtown area of the city. A similar, though much larger, observation sky wheel and adjacent mall is proposed for the North Shore waterfront in St. George.

The SkyWheel is a 187-foot tall observation wheel that opened in May 2011, to anchor the redevelopment of the downtown waterfront area of the Southern city, about a 12-hour drive from our shores. The city draws vacationers, in large part, based on its beaches and golf courses.

The wheel features 42 climate-controlled glass-enclosed “gondolas” where people can relax and take in the skyline and waterfront view. Because the gondolas are heated and cooled, the wheel operates year-round, and is lighted after dark. It can be seen for miles.

The project was spearheaded by the St. Louis-based Pacific Development Corp. and cost about $12 million to build. Once the developers approached the city, the project was fast-tracked and took little more than a year to complete.

“We’re really excited about the thing. It’s big enough to be an iconic feature for the city,”Myrtle Beach City Manager Tom Leath told the Myrtle Beach Sun News when the project was announced.

The downtown redevelopment project in Myrtle Beach began in 2010 with construction of a 2.5-mile waterfront esplanade/boardwalk, a pier, and an assortment of shops, restaurants and attractions.

Additional shops and eateries were added when the SkyWheel opened. Singer Jimmy Buffett’s “Margaritaville” Land Lubber seafood bar and grill occupies the coveted spot at the base of the wheel, along with a gift shop and ticket booth. (The wheel costs $13 a ticket for adults, with discounts for children and older adults.)

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Myrtle Beach boasts that its SkyWheel is the largest observation wheel east of the Mississippi River, but it would be dwarfed by the 600-foot wheel proposed for the St. George waterfront.

An Advance reporter who checked out the SkyWheel while in Myrtle Beach with family, asked locals and tourists there whether a big wheel in New York would draw them to Staten Island.

A few knew of our borough through the Staten Island Ferry, but were unaware of their options upon getting off the boat in St. George.

“If I saw that great big wheel across the water, I’d sure want to get off the boat and see what it’s all about,” said one Myrtle Beach resident behind the counter in one of the promenade gift shops.

A couple from Atlanta, who were waiting to board the SkyWheel, said they travel to New York City for vacation and business, but have never visited Staten Island. They thought an observation wheel for Staten Island, with a view of the city skyline, would “be a great idea” but wondered if it would compete with the iconic Empire State Building observation deck.

They said, however, that they would be inclined to come to Staten Island to ride the wheel, and once here, would be likely to spend the day.

Negotiations between the city Economic Development Corp. and developers of the yet-unnamed wheel are well under way, according to Borough President James Molinaro. The city is even eyeing plans for an outlet mall near the St. George Ferry terminal that would offer yet another incentive to visit and stay for a while on Staten Island.